


Something Old, Something New

by StoryTellingDoc



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-07
Updated: 2015-01-07
Packaged: 2018-03-06 13:37:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3136382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryTellingDoc/pseuds/StoryTellingDoc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school classmates John Smith and Rose Tyler never ran in the same circles, but will they get a second chance to discover each other at their ten year high school reunion?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Old, Something New

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Something Old, Something New  
> Rating: Teen  
> Characters: Tenth Doctor, Rose Tyler  
> Genre: One-Shot, Picfic, Fluff, AU  
> Summary: High school classmates John Smith and Rose Tyler never ran in the same circles, but will they get a second chance to discover each other at their ten year high school reunion?  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated to Doctor Who, including (but not exclusive to) the Doctor, Rose Tyler, Donna Noble, and the TARDIS. This was written for entertainment purposes only.  
> Note: Originally posted on Tumblr @tenandrose4ever)

"Excuse me…Rose? Rose Tyler?"

Rose looked up from the white plastic covered table she was sitting at, contemplating finding a way to leave without being noticed. She was sitting at her ten year high school reunion, dragged there by her friend Shareen, who promptly dumped her by the refreshment table with nary a backward glance when an old flame winked at her from across the room. Rose had grabbed a plate and helped herself to the various semi-cold bites, then grabbed a cup of likely spiked punch and sat down at the nearest table. Although she was relatively popular while in high school, Rose had grown tired of pretending to be interested as the “friends” she had not spoken to in years regaled her with their various accomplishments. Finally, possibly sensing her disinterest, they had each found someone else to chat with, and she had been left with momentary peace and quiet. 

Standing before her was a tall and lanky man with chestnut brown hair, glasses, and a face that seemed vaguely familiar. She waited a few seconds, a wary smile on her face, for him to make her acquaintance.

"Yeah?"

The man seemed to take a quick breath before letting out a string of rushed words that Rose barely caught.

"I’m John…John Smith. We went to high school together. I…I don’t know if you remember me, but I was your tutor for your A levels. Also, Donna, Donna Noble was my cousin."

Rose thought back, reaching in the recesses of her mind for a face to match the name. As she squinted her eyes in thought, a younger version of the face in front of her sprang to her mind. She recalled a gawky young man who was so shy that he couldn’t get out half of his words while tutoring her. She remembered feeling sorry for him, because he was bullied a lot in school, so she always made it a point to smile at him in the hallway, and invited him on outings with Donna. This time, she let out a genuine smile.

"John! Of course! How have you been?"

He gestured to the chair across the table from her, and she nodded. He pulled it out, sat down, and pushed his glasses further up his nose. 

"I’ve been good…I mean, I’m great. I’m a professor of astrophysics now."

"That’s amazin’! You liking it?"

He nodded, letting out a toothy smile of his own. 

“Yeah, I suppose I do.”

He looked around the room before bringing his gaze back to her face. 

“What about you? How is life treating you?”

Rose shrugged and smiled, but shifted her gaze to the dance floor, watching a few couples swaying lazily to the music. 

“I’m fine, I suppose. Nothin’ so exciting as teaching, but I’ve done alright.”

John paused for a moment, seeming to debate whether to say what was on his mind. Rose tilted her head slightly with a questioning look.

"Did…did you and Jimmy ever…" 

Rose shook her head slowly, hoping the smile on her face belied the dull ache that still resided in her heart. 

“Nah…that was high school. We both moved on.”

She forced herself to keep the smile on her face as she watched the display of emotions crossing his face. She could tell that he wasn’t fooled, but was too polite to say anything.

"So," he said instead, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, "are you enjoying the reunion?"

Rose raised an eyebrow at him, and they smiled simultaneously. 

"That bad?"

"Yup," she replied, stressing the p with a popping sound. This time it was he who raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

John smiled, an errant lock of hair falling in front of his face. 

“You still say that the way you did in high school.”

"What? Yup?" She repeated the performance, followed by a mischievous tongue-touched smile.

"Uh…ummm…," he stammered, nervously licking his lips. 

Rose giggled, but decided not to torture the obviously still shy man in front of her.

"So, who did you come to find tonight?"

Rose is puzzled when John’s face turns a beet red. His mouth opened and closed several times before he pulled out an inhaler and takes a deep breath. 

"I…I…uh…I came hoping that you would be here, actually."

Rose’s mouth fell open. “Me?”

"Yes, you."

"Why me?"

John pulled himself from his slouching position and leaned forward, bringing their faces closer together. Rose briefly registered the freckles splattered across his cheeks as he gazed at her intently. 

"I…I wanted to thank you, for being kind to me back in school."

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but he rushed forward, cutting her off.

"I…I know I wasn’t exactly popular, actually, I was kind of invisible, but you always treated me like a normal person, and I wanted to say thank you."

Rose smiled at him, shaking her head. 

“I didn’t do anything special…just tried to be friendly is all.”

He reached over and grabbed one of her hands without thinking. 

“No, Rose, your kindness helped me through a really dark time. I was…very angry with how my life was. Seeing your smiling face was the highlight of my day.” 

Not knowing how to respond to such a declaration, Rose looked down at their overlapping hands, a feeling of warmth rushing through her body. Believing perhaps that he had made a mistake, John pulled his hand away before she could even react.

"I’m…I apologize, Rose. That was too forward of me."

She shook her head, smiling reassuringly at him. 

“It’s quite alright, John. No harm done.”

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, Shareen walked up to the table and plopped down next to them, an angry expression on her face. Rose suppressed a smile as she spotted Shareen’s old flame flirting shamelessly with a rather voluptuous bleached blonde.

"Stupid arse. Wouldn’t know a good thing if it slapped him the face."

"Shareen," Rose said with a warning tone as she gestured to John, "do you remember John Smith?" 

As her friend looked over at her companion at the table with a puzzled look, Rose offered up a hint. 

"Donna’s cousin?"

"Oh my god, I remember you! You’re the one!" Shareen grabbed hold of the untouched punch sitting in front of Rose and chugged it before turning to John. 

"You here hoping to get lucky with Rose?"

John shook his head frantically. 

“No, no…I just came over to say hello, that’s all.”

“I don’t believe you,” Shareen says, turning to Rose with a glint in her eye. “Donna never told you, did she?”

“Tell me what?”

“This one,” Shareen replied, pointing at John, “fancied you all through school. Everyone knew it, but Donna made me promise not to say anything to you. Thought it would embarrass him.”

Judging by the dark pink color rising in his cheeks, Rose knew it was still mortifying for him now. He lowered his eyes, and before Rose could protest, mumbled something about needing to leave and got up, walking towards the front door of the party hall. 

“Shareen! That was mean!”

Her friend had the decency to look remorseful. 

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”

“Well obviously it is to him,” Rose admonished her, getting up. “I’m going to go check on him.”

Rose found him easily enough, standing outside the building, shivering from the cold winter weather. She walked up and stood next to him in the snow, looking at his profile. 

“I’m sorry about Shareen. She was just mad about her bloke.”

John said nothing, his eyes remaining steadfastly in front of him. Rose glanced down at her shoes, not knowing what else to say. Soon, the cold began to get to her, and she shivers uncontrollably. Rose sensed John moving before she felt the jacket he was wearing land around her shoulders. She looked up at him, and their eyes connect. Rose struggled to read the expression on his face.

“She’s right, you know.”

“About what?”

John turned at looked out at the street again. 

“I did fancy you in school.”

Rose smiled at him gently, but her expression turned into surprise at his next words. 

“I have to confess…I can’t say that I don’t still have feelings for you now.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. 

“After all this time? I figured you would have forgotten me by now.”

His expression turned serious as he met her gaze once again. 

“Never. You don’t forget people that you…”

He caught himself before finishing the sentence, but Rose had a feeling she might find out in time. They lapsed into silence once again as Rose processed the new information. She had sworn off men after Jimmy cheated on her repeatedly during their relationship; catching him in bed with one of the girls she worked with at the department store was the last straw. Since then, Rose had been careful to guard herself from being hurt again, but looking up at the earnest brown eyes of the boy she remembered being sweet and funny, she wondered if she couldn’t try again. Just as she sensed him withdrawing from her, she gifted him with a flirty smile, swaying slightly from foot to foot. 

“You know, I’m still hungry. That food in there was terrible.”

He nodded. “Yeah, it was pretty bad.”

“How about we get out of the cold and go grabs some chips? I know a great chippy around the corner from here.”

John seemed genuinely surprised by her offer, but his eyes lit up as he smiled happily in response. 

“Sounds divine.”

“Let me grab my things,” she says as she turned to go back inside. 

As she opened the door, she glanced over his shoulder at him. 

“You’re paying, though. Wouldn’t be a proper date otherwise.”

She nearly burst out laughing when his face falls in chagrin. 

“I didn’t bring any money.”

“Who leaves the house with no money?” Rolling her eyes dramatically, Rose let out a sigh. “Fine, but you owe me.”

“You got it,” he said with a grin. 

Rose ran back into the party hall, giving Shareen a hasty excuse, and ran back out to meet up with John. As they turn to head down the street, she shivered again.

“Cold?”

“Yeah,” she replied, teeth chattering

John looked at her with a solemn expression as he grabbed her hand. He grins at her then, and she grins back.

“Run!”


End file.
